Foldable rack



June 30, 1959 HUFF- FOLDABLE RACK Filed May 15, 1957 INVENTOR.

United States Patent FOLDABLE RACK John Huif, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 15, 1957, Serial No. 659,292

7 Claims. (Cl. 211-178) This invention relates to a holder for records and the like and more specifically to a novel rack which may be folded for shipping and storage.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel rack which is simple and inexpensive to make and which is easily foldable.

A more specific object is to provide a folding rack having a plurality of spring rod dividers or separators which serve to releasably clamp the bottom tray in place.

Another object is to form and arrange the dividers so that they cam into their operative position upon their assembly with the tray.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of the novel rack;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure in folded position; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end view of the divider portion in folded position.

Describing the invention in detail and having particular reference to the drawings, there is shown an upper divider or separator portion 2 and a bottom or basal tray portion 3.

The upper portion comprises a plurality of inverted U-shaped spring wire dividers or partitions 4, each of which is preferably a round rod of steel or other resilient material and comprising the upper span portion or bight 5 and a pair of generally vertical legs 6 and 7 which are biased or preloaded toward each other in the plane of the divider. The lower extremities or ends 9 and 10 of the side portions 6 and 7 project through vertical openings 11, 12 and 13, 14 respectively in the top and bottom webs or flanges 15, 16 and 17, 18 of the U or channelshaped side holders 19, 20.

The holders or grippers 19 and 20 in addition to the flanges 13, 14 and 17, 18 are provided respectively with vertical outboard webs or walls 21, 22 and as best seen in Figure 2, the flanges 15, 16 of the holder element 19 extend inwardly from the top and bottom edges of the web 21 to provide an inwardly open pocket 23 and the flanges 17, 18 of holder member 20 also extend inwardly from the top and bottom edges of holder 20 and define an inwardly open pocket 25 within which and in pocket 23 nest the side rails 26, 27 respectively, of the tray or basal structure 3.

In addition, in the set up or operative position of the assembly the side rails 26, 27, which are preferably round or cylindrical rod seat complementally with their remote or outer sides 29 and 30 within the crooks or pockets formed by the outwardly bowed cam bends or offsets 31 and 32 at the lower ends of the legs 6 and 7. These offsets 31, 32 are located between the top and bottom flanges 15, 16 and 17, 18 respectively of the holders 19, 20 and prevent the longitudinal displaceice ment or disassembly of the legs with respect to the respective holders 19 and 20.

The base structure 3 in addition to the side bars 26 and 27 which are preferably of a diameter of the order of spacing between the top and bottom webs of the holders 19 and 20 to snugly fit therebetween, comprises at least one intermediate bar 35 which is connected as by welding to the transverse end members 36 and 37 which are connected as by welding to the corresponding ends of the members 26 and 27.

It will be noted that in the assembled position of the rack, the offset portions 31 and 32 tightly embrace the rods 26 and 27 and in view of their outward bow cam against these rods and serve to maintain the divider substantially perpendicular to the rods 26 and 27.

- In order to fold the unit, the base is disassembled from the divider structure by pulling the holder members 19 and 20 manually laterally apart whereby the base drops out of the holders. The divider assembly is then skewed as shown in Figure 3 whereby the separators extend plane- Wise generally parallel to the holder members 19 and 20 and in order to releasably secure the divider subassembly in the folded position the holders which are normally coplanar may be displaced in order to interweave the flanges 15 and 16 of the holder 19 with the flanges 17 and 18 of the holder 20 for example as shown in Figure 4 so that flange 17 sits upon 15 and 18 upon 16 with a pressure engagement developed due to distortion of the dividers planewise. Of course, after the divider portion is folded up, the tray is placed flatwise alongside of the divider portion and thus boxed.

Assembly of the structure proceeds with unfolding the upper divider portion springing the side holders apart to introduce the opposite sides of the tray into the holders and then allowing the holders to spring back.

While only one form of the invention has been shown, it should be recognized that other forms and variations of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rack comprising a generally horizontal base including a pair of side members, a separator assembly comprising a plurality of resilient inverted U-shaped dividers laterally spaced side by side, and each having a pair of dependent legs terminating in lower ends, longitudinal holder elements connected to the lower ends of corresponding legs, said holder elements disposed at opposite sides of said base and having inwardly facing pockets receiving respective side members therein, and said legs of each divider biased toward each other for tightly embracing said base therebetween within said pockets.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and further characterized in that said connection between the lower end of each leg and the associated holder element being pivotal on an axis transverse to the plane of the divider, and said base being removable upon said elements being spread apart and said assembly adapted to be folded by advancing said elements toward each other with attendant pivoting of said dividers, and means associated with said legs and reactive against said base for holding the rack squared.

3. The combination of a divider assembly including a plurality of upright parallel laterally spaced separators each of which comprises a resilient inverted U-shape structure having an upper bight and a pair of dependent legs disposed at opposite sides of the assembly, said legs biased toward each other and having lower ends, a holder at each side of the assembly, each holder pivotally connected on vertical axes to the lower ends of the legs at that side of the assembly, a base extending between said holders and having opposite edges mounted on the holders, said assembly skewable for folding upon removal of said base and cam means on at least one of the legs engaging said base and operative to cam and hold said assembly in open position.

4. The combination of a dividerlassembly including a plurality of upright parallel laterally spaced separators each of which comprises a resilient inverted U-shape structure having an upper bight and a pair of dependent legs disposed at opposite sides of the assembly, said legs biased toward each other and having lower ends, a holder at each side of the assembly, each holder pivotally connected on verticalaxes to the lower ends of the legs at that side of the assembly, a base extending between the holders and having opposite edges-mounted on respective holders, said assembly skewable for folding upon removal of the base and said structures yieldable in'the planes thereof to vertically misalign the holders, said holders having portions overlapping each other in the folded position of the assembly and tightly pressed avertically against each other for holding said assembly in folded position.

'5. The combination of a divider assembly andta planar base, said divider assembly comprising a plurality of inverted U-shaped separators having an upper bight and a pair of dependent legs at opposite sides of the assembly, an elongated element at each side of the assembly com prising an upright outboard web and a pair of top and bottom flanges extending inwardly from said web and defining an inwardly open pocket receiving the adjacent edge of the base therein, said legs having lower ends projecting through vertical openings in said flanges of the element at that side of the assembly whereby said element and separator are pivotally connected to accommodate longitudinal movement of the element for skewing said assembly for folding, and said lower ends of said legs having outwardly offset portions between the flanges 'of the associated element to prevent endwise movement of the legs relative to the element whileaccommodating the aforesaid pivotal movement, said offset portions providing concave sockets snugly receiving respective edges of the base and camming said separators perpendicular to said edges of the base.

6. A file comprising a plurality of vertical transversely separated spring-wire partitions each including a pair of legs disposed at opposite sides of said file, longitudinal members along opposite sides of the file, each member having a pair ofinwardly extending vertically spaced longitudinal flanges with openings therein receiving therethrough the lower ends of thelegs ,a'ttthat side, each leg having on its lower end an outward offset between the flanges of the related -members, said oflsets providing inwardly facing pockets,:and a base between said members, said base having side edges nested in the pockets in the respective members, and said legs pivotal on vertical axes upon relative longitudinal movement of said members for folding andsaid ofiset portions camrning said-baseout of'said pockets.

7. A separator unit comprising a pair of generally horizontal coplanar longitudinal side members spaced laterally, a plurality of vertical spring-wire partitions spaced lengthwise of the side members and pivotally connected at opposite ends to respective side members said unit-being skewa-ble to "fold, said members having inwardly directed vertically spaced base-receiving portions, saidspring wire partitions yieldable vertically to oifset said side members and interdigitate said portions of one' mernber-withthe other in-the folded position whereby said portions tightly engage each other to'hold said unit infolded position.

Wells Mar. 18, 1890 840,512 Palmer Jan. 8, 1907 2,197,789 Dalton Apr. 23, 1940 

